Hello, everybody.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I am really delighted to be with you today.

That's because we're going to be doing some handwriting, and that's one of my favourite things to do.

So I hope you're ready.

Hope you're feeling good.

I hope you've got some paper, a pencil, a great deal of enthusiasm, because we are gonna have a great time together.

Let's get into it.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can form the pre-cursive letters, m, n, and r.

I think this is gonna be a lot of fun.

And there are some keywords for us to be on the lookout for during today's lesson.

Let's go through them, my turn, your turn.

Pre-cursive.

Lead in.

Lead out.

X-height letter.

Let's make sure we look out for these words.

Let's listen carefully for them.

Let's think about them.

Let's be curious about them.

So today's lesson has got four parts to it.

We're going to start with our handwriting warmup, always lots of fun.

Then we'll be forming the pre-cursive letter m, then forming the pre-cursive letter n, and we'll finish by forming the pre-cursive letter r.

So first of all, handwriting warmups and why they're important.

Well, before we start to write, it's important that we warm up our hands and our wrist muscles, first of all, and our hands and wrists are gonna get stronger when we exercise them.

And warming up our hands before writing will help to improve your handwriting.

Whatever kind of thing you wanna write, it's gonna help you with your handwriting.

We're going to start our handwriting warmups with a really, really fun warmup.

This one is piano playing.

And this is so much fun because we get to exercise our hands, and we get to imagine a really fun tune in our head.

So I'm going to go first and then it will be your turn.

I'm getting my fingers in position on top of my imaginary piano, and I am going to start pressing each of these keys on the keyboard, by moving my fingers and pressing them down, stretching my fingers, moving along the keyboard, making a lovely tune.

Oh my goodness, this sounds great.

I'm enjoying hearing this in my mind.

Wonderful.

And now it's your turn.

Get your hands ready.

Get your fingers in position just above the keys on your piano keyboard and let's go.

Let's start playing our tune.

So you're pressing your fingers down on the imaginary piano keyboard.

You are stretching out your fingers, 'cause you need to go to reach some of those notes that are a little bit further away.

Oh, how's your tune sounding? Are you enjoying it? I can hear all of these lovely imaginary tunes.

What a great, great sound.

What a great stretch for our fingers.

Well done, everyone.

Next, we're going to have a go at the clapping position.

So for this, we're going to bring our hands together as if we were clapping, and I'll have a go first and then it will be your turn.

And I'm gonna press all of my fingers into each other.

So fingers from this hand are pressing into the fingers from this hand, and my palms, the centre of your hand, the palms are pressing against each other as well.

It's a really, really nice way for us to get our hands and our wrists as well ready for handwriting.

Hmm, it feels really nice.

It's your turn.

Get your hands ready as if you're going to clap.

You deserve a clap after this.

And let's press them together.

Pressing together each of your fingers.

Pressing together your thumbs.

Pressing the palms of your hands together.

Your wrists are getting a nice little stretch here as well.

Doesn't this feel great? Oh, lovely and relaxed.

Well done.

As well, practising writing patterns helps to prepare us for writing letters.

We can do patterns that go up and down like this.

We can do fun zigzags.

And my favourites, we can do loops.

So many great patterns.

Let's have a go at doing this pattern in the air.

So I'm gonna go, first of all, I'm gonna use my finger, and I'm just making these kind of, what would we call them? Humps, I'm not sure.

Let's just make this nice movement.

So we're just going, let me show you again, just going up and down, up and down, up and down.

Okay.

It's your turn.

Are you ready? Let's go.

Up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down.

Should we go backwards? This pattern is pretty useful because the letters we're doing today have got this kind of a shape.

For your task, I'd like you to copy and continue the pattern using your tripod grip.

Have fun, and remember, don't lift your pencil when you're forming the pattern each time you're going across the line.

Pause the video here.

Okay, we're back.

How did you get on? How did you get on with copying and continuing the pattern using your tripod grip? Did you hold your pencil in the tripod grip the whole time? Did you keep your pencil on the page all the while? Did you enjoy these, what should we call them? Humps, lumps, mountains, hills.

Hope you had fun.

For the next part of our lesson, we'll be forming the pre-cursive letter m.

Here it is.

Here's the pre-cursive m.

Look closely at it.

Take a good look.

What do you see? What do you notice? Tell somebody nearby and pause the video here.

Mm-hmm, did you spot the lead in? Did you spot at the end the lead out? Did you notice that it's an x-height letter? That's as high up as it goes.

Let's find out more about the pre-cursive m.

So this is the pre-cursive formation of the letter m.

Take a good look at it.

The pre-cursive formation of the letter m has a lead in and it has a lead out.

So let's just go into some of these words, these some of our key words here.

So pre-cursive, let's just say again, pre-cursive.

Your turn.

Okay, yes.

Hearing that loud and clear, I like it.

So the word pre.

Pre means before.

So pre-cursive means before cursive.

So cursive writing is joined up handwriting where every letter joins to the next one, and pre-cursive is before cursive, so it's getting us ready for cursive.

And the key thing about it is, here are our next keywords, that each letter has a lead in, and then each letter has a lead out.

And the lead out helps that letter to join to the next one, and it will join to the lead in of the next letter.

So the lead ins and lead outs, it's like they hold hands.

And letter m is an x-height letter, so that means it goes up as high as the x-height line.

The pre-cursive letter m starts on the baseline.

Now, important fact here, all pre-cursive letters start on the baseline.

The lead in is always on the baseline.

Check for understanding.

Select the true statements.

Letter m.

Check for understanding.

Select the true statements.

The letter m is a tall letter.

The letter m is an x-height letter.

The pre-cursive formation of m has a lead in and out.

The letter m starts on the descender line.

Have a think about all of these statements and pause the video here while you choose the correct ones.

Well done if you selected B and C.

The letter m is indeed an x-height letter, and the pre-cursive formation of m has a lead in and a lead out.

Great job, team.

It's time to do the fun thing of forming the pre-cursive letter m in the air.

I'm gonna have a go first.

I'm gonna use my finger to form the pre-cursive m and then it'll be your turn.

Okay, so I'm gonna begin on the baseline, and what I say to myself is, ready, line, go.

So I remember that I start here on that baseline, always starting on the baseline.

So, here I go.

Ready, line, go.

There's my lead in up to the x-height line, straight down to the baseline, and I'm gonna go up and over.

Do you remember that shape we did in our warmup? And then we're gonna go up and over, and I'm gonna finish with a lead out.

There we go.

Let me show you one more time.

Ready, line, go up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Up and over.

Up and curl over, and I lead out.

It's time for you to have a go.

Are you ready? Line, go.

Lead in up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Up, curl over and down.

Up, curl over and down.

Lead out.

Again, again, we can't stop these m's.

Ready, line, go.

Up, down.

Up, curl over and down.

Up, curl over and down.

Lead out.

Those m's are looking so good.

Mm, they look great.

I'm going to show you how to form the pre-cursive letter m.

I'm sitting comfortably.

My pen is in the tripod grip.

I'm gonna say to myself, ready, line, go, as I put my pen on the baseline and draw my lead in.

And then I'm going up to the x-height line, and coming back down to the baseline.

Curling up and over.

Back down to the baseline.

Curling up and over.

Back down to the baseline, and there's my lead out.

Let's try that again.

Ready, line, go.

There's my lead in.

Go up to the x-height line, down to the baseline.

Coming back up.

Curling over and down.

Back up, curling over and down, and I'll finish with a lead out.

Let's try one more.

Ready, line, go.

There's my lead in.

Up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Back up.

Then curl over and down.

Back up.

Curl over and down.

Finish with a lead out.

Check for understanding.

Which is the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter m? Choose from these three m's and pause the video while you decide.

Well done.

You've got it.

It was the first m.

This one has got the lead in, and it's got the lead out, and it's all made in one continuous flowing movement.

For your task, I'd like you to practise forming the pre-cursive letter m.

First of all, go over the grey examples.

Next, try using the starting dot.

Finally, complete two lines of the pre-cursive letter m independently on your tram lines.

Enjoy every m.

Stay focused, have fun.

See you when you're finished.

Pause the video here.

We're back together again.

And let's see, let's find out about your m's, your pre-cursive letter for m's.

So, did you start on a baseline? Ready, line, go.

Did you remember that lead in? Did you remember the lead out? Did you keep your pencil on the page for each of those letter m's? Which is your best one? Circle it.

Celebrate.

You've done a fantastic job.

Next, we are moving on to forming the pre-cursive letter n.

Here it is.

Here's the n.

Hmm.

Take a good look.

Look from every angle.

What can you see? What do you notice? Tell someone nearby.

Pause the video.

So many things to notice.

Did you spot the lead in? Did you spot the lead out? Did you notice that it's very similar to the letter m? It's kind of almost like half an m.

And it's an x-height letter.

Let's find out more.

This is the pre-cursive formation of the letter n.

Remember pre-cursive, before cursive.

It's in between print and cursive.

Right there in the middle is our fantastic pre-cursive writing.

The letter n is formed in a similar way to the letter m.

So the n has got one of these curl overs, whereas the m keeps going and it has the second one.

The letter n has a lead in.

The letter n has a lead out.

And letter n is an x-height letter.

It goes up as high as the x-height line.

Let's have a go at forming the letter n.

I'm gonna go first.

I'm gonna use my fist this time.

Afterwards, you'll have a go.

Okay, I am gonna, remember what I'm gonna say? I'm gonna say ready line, go.

For my lead in, up to the x-height, straight down to the baseline.

Up, curl over.

Down and lead out.

Let me show you one more time.

I'm gonna start at the baseline.

I'm gonna say ready, line, go.

Give me my lead in.

Going up to the x-height line.

Going back down to the baseline.

Up, curl over.

Down and lead out.

Okay, it's your turn.

Let's do this.

Ready, line, go.

Lead in.

Up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Back up, curl over.

Down and lead out.

Again, ready, line, go.

Lead in.

X-height line.

Down to the baseline, up.

Curl over.

Down.

Lead out.

These ends are magnificent.

You have done such a great job.

I hope you're proud of your n's.

I'm going to show you how to form the pre-cursive letter n.

I'm sitting comfortably.

I'm holding my pen in the tripod grip.

I am going to start at the baseline.

I'm gonna say to myself, ready, line, go.

And there's my lead in, and I'm going up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Back up to the x-height line.

I'm gonna curl over, come back down and finish with a lead out.

Let's try that again.

Ready, line, go.

There's my lead in, up to the x-height line, down to the baseline.

Up, curl over, back down and lead out.

Let's try one more.

Ready, line, go.

Up to the x-height line, to the baseline.

Up, curl over.

Down and lead out.

Check for understanding.

Select the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter n.

Here are these three n's.

Which is the right one? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected this n in the middle.

It's been made in one flowing continuous movement without taking the pen off the page, and it has the lead in and the lead out.

Great job.

For your task, I'd like you to practise forming the pre-cursive letter n.

First of all, go over the grey examples.

Next, try using the starting dot.

Finally, complete two lines independently on your tram lines.

Stay focused, stay in the zone.

Enjoy all your n's.

See you when you're finished.

Pause the video.

Okay, here we are.

We're back together.

How did it go? Tell me about the n's.

What did you find out? How did you get on with it? Did you start on the baseline? Did you say ready, line, go? Did you remember the lead in? Did you go up, down, over again? Did you remember the lead out? Circle your best n.

It's time to celebrate.

And now it's time for forming the pre-cursive letter r.

Are you ready to see this one? Here it is.

Here's the r.

Have a closer look.

Hmm.

Really, really notice everything there is to see here.

Tell the person next to you and pause the video.

Okay, did you notice that it has a lead in? Did you notice that there's a little bit of a dip down and then back up for the lead out? So when we finished that r, you just go down and then up.

And did you notice it's an x-height letter? Well done if you spotted all those things.

Let's find out some more about this curious letter r, pre-cursive r.

This is the pre-cursive formation of the letter r.

The letter r starts on the baseline to form the lead in.

The pre-cursive letter r is an x-height letter.

Goes up as high as the x-height line.

And the pre-cursive letter r dips just below the x-height line to create the lead out.

Let's have a go at forming the pre-cursive letter r.

I'm gonna have a go first of all.

I'm gonna form this letter with my finger, then it will be your turn.

Okay, do you remember what to say at the beginning? I'm gonna say ready, line, go.

Gives me that lead in.

Up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

Up, over, and then a little bit of a dip, and then that goes up into my lead out.

Again.

Ready, line, go.

Up to the x-height line.

Straight down.

Up and over, and a bit of a dip, and up for my lead out.

Okay, it's your turn.

Are you ready? Let's go.

Ready, line, go.

Up.

Down to the baseline.

Back up and over.

Dip.

Lead out.

One more.

Ready, line, go.

Lead in.

Up to the x-height line.

Straight down.

Up and over.

Dip and lead out.

Those r's are terrific.

You've done a great job as always.

I'm going to show you how to form the pre-cursive letter r.

I'm sitting comfortably and I'm holding my pen in the tripod grip.

I am going to start down by the baseline.

I'm gonna say ready, line, go to remind me to give myself that lead in.

I go up to the x-height line, back down to the baseline, back up to the x-height line.

Then I'm gonna dip down, and then back up for my lead out.

Let's try that again.

Ready, line, go.

Start at the baseline.

Lead in.

Up to the x-height line.

Down to the baseline.

I'm gonna go back up over, and I'm gonna dip down and dip up for my lead out.

One more time.

I'm gonna start at the baseline.

Ready, line, go.

There's my lead in.

Up to the x-height line, down to the baseline.

Back up, curling over.

Dip down and then dip up for my lead out.

Check for understanding.

Select the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter r.

Hmm, here are these three r's, but which is the correct one? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done.

It's the one on the end, above the C.

This letter pre-cursive r has got the lead in, and it's got the curling over, and then a little dip at the top, just under the x-height line.

Fantastic.

For your task, I'd like you to practise forming the pre-cursive letter r.

First of all, go over the grey examples.

Next, try using the starting dot.

Finally, complete two lines independently on your tram lines.

Enjoy all the r's.

See you when you're finished.

Pause the video.

It's good to see you again.

So, how did you get on with the r's? I'm really keen to find out.

Did you start on a baseline with your lead in? Did you dip just below the x-height line and then back up for the lead out? Did you keep your pencil on the page for the whole formation of each r? Did you enjoy them all? Celebrate.

Circle your best one.

You deserve a celebration.

Really well done.

In our lesson, pre-cursive formation of m, n, and r, we have covered the following.

The pre-cursive letters m, n, and r all have a lead in and a lead out.

The pre-cursive letters m, n, and r all start on the baseline with their lead in.

The letters m, n, and r are all x-height letters.

The pre-cursive letter r has a dip down below the x-height line as the lead out.

Well done, everybody.

You have shown great focus and enthusiasm, and I'm really proud of what you've achieved in this lesson, and I'm just looking forward to seeing you in the next one.

See you then.

Bye-bye.